Though the success rate of a dental implant is over 90%, there are a variety of reasons that a patient may experience a failure of stability in their implant surgery. In this event, we can help. Following a thorough dental examination, we will determine the cause of the failure and how to best set the patient up for success in future restoration work. Our team at Excellent Dental Specialists can make recommendations, restore your teeth and their function, and give you the smile that you want.

Reasons for Implant Failure

Before your implant placement surgery, we make predictions regarding the success or failure of your implants by taking into consideration your physical health, your dental health, medications you are taking, congenital issues and any personal habits that may point to possible failure. We will discuss the possibility of failure and try to resolve any issues that may lead to it.

Proper placement of your dental implants is vital to their success. If placed correctly, restoration with implants is actually the most successful dental restoration in the long term, with higher success rates than bridges, dentures, or any other treatment. These are some of the reasons for failure we have seen in our practice:

Inexperience:Dental implants have increased in popularity considerably, and their popularity has meant an increase in patient requests. If a dentist is not ready to complete this type of restoration, or is inexperienced, it can lead to a host of problems. When you are considering dental implant surgery it is important to evaluate whether your dentist has the experience, technology, and a record of success behind them—not just the best price.

Poor Bone:When a patient loses a tooth, the bone in their jaw has an immediate reaction. Without the constant stimulation and pressure of a tooth root, the bone quickly loses mass due to atrophy through resorption. This does not make an implant impossible, it simply means that the bone needs to be rebuilt through a bone graft process.

Poor Healing:There are multiple reasons that a patient may not heal like they should. There are medical problems such as uncontrolled diabetes and certain medications that can decrease your ability to heal quickly, decreasing the success of bonding. We have also found that patients who smoke cigarettes or engage in other tobacco products have a decreased ability to heal. This does not exclude you from having implants placed, but we will want to discuss these potential problems together and include consideration of any medical information or personal habits in your treatment plan.

Persistent Gingival Inflammation:Patients who suffer from periodontal disease, or have a persistent problem with infected gum tissue can have a difficult time in the healing process of their dental implant. We will want to reduce the infection and promote healthier gums.

At Excellent Dental Specialists, we want to ensure that your dental implant functions properly for the life of the restored tooth, and that you have a successful experience. For more information about our dental implant and oral surgery services, please contact us at (210) 598-8933 to schedule a consultation.